


His Cup Of Tea

by Eyeliner_Vampire



Category: Ghost Hunt, 悪霊シリーズ | Ghost Hunt
Genre: Aphrodisiacs, F/M, Lots of Tea, Naru is a bad flirt, Porn With Plot, Smut, Tea, consent is my kink, not a father Naru, this is literally 20 pages of uncomfortableness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:27:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25582840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eyeliner_Vampire/pseuds/Eyeliner_Vampire
Summary: A client's thank-you gift goes a little bit too far. Quali-tea smut. NaruxMai
Relationships: Oliver Davis & Taniyama Mai, Oliver Davis/Taniyama Mai, Shibuya Kazuya/Taniyama Mai
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53





	His Cup Of Tea

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thank you to PrideAndGhosts for beta-ing this!

Never before has Noll been more suspicious of a cup of tea. Steam wafted from the center of the leather brown liquid, a color he was wholly unaccustomed to.

"What is this?" he said, unsure if Mai had accidentally given him her cup. He took a short sniff, miffed at the deep woody scent emanating from the teacup. It wasn't that this smell was unpleasant, quite the opposite actually, but he wasn't anything if not a creature of habit. A creature who really wanted Earl Grey.

"Herbal tea," Mai said, though her smile had become a bit fixed.

Noll couldn't help the disgust on his face. There was no room for herbal tea on his list of palatable liquids.

Mai sipped gingerly, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Our last client, Setsuko-san, left it as a thank-you gift. I thought it might make for a nice change."

"I did not ask for _change_ , I asked for tea." Noll said, spotting the homemade tin open on the counter, spilled tea leaves scattered around it. The label was unreadable, handwritten in kanji.

"You didn't ask for anything," Mai grumbled as she fit the lid back on the tin. "It's special. It has something called _Catuaba_ — Naru!"

She reached for him, steaming cup still in hand, but it was already too late. He had tipped the offensive liquid into the drain.

"What was that for?" she yelled. "Because you'd rather drink the same tea you drink every day than try something new!"

"If you won't make Earl Grey, I will make it myself." He crossed his arms, hoping he wouldn't have to follow through. As capable as he was of steeping tea, Mai's was preferable. He rinsed his cup of the remaining leaves and set it down beside a stunned Mai. "Well?"

"Fine!" Mai slammed the kettle back on its base a little too hard as hot water sloshed onto the counter. "You didn't even try it."

Argument won, Noll turned to leave. "Why would I do something so pointless? I already know I won't like it."

"You're just — ugh!" She yelled at his back. "You can't say you won't like something if you haven't even tried it. Where's the _evidence_ , Mr. Scientist?"

Flustered, Mai lifted the cup to her lips, not exactly sold on the sharp taste but unwilling to let him win. It was an acquired taste and she was willing to acquire it. The woody scent soothed her temper. She sighed into her cup, or at least, she would have if Noll hadn't seized it from her. Their eyes locked over the rim as Noll took a slow mouthful.

"N-Naru..." Her heart fluttered. They were sharing a drink?

He swallowed hard and stuck his tongue out in a grimace. "As bad as I thought." He said, handing it back to her. "Is that enough evidence for you, Taniyama-san?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He was gone before Mai's brain could catch up with what just happened. She stared at the space where he had been, steam still wafting from her cup. The cup Noll drank out of. Should she pour it out? It wasn't very proper to drink out of the same cup but... She shook her head. That would be a waste. His lips only touched that side of the cup, she thought, if she drinks from the other side... it doesn't mean anything, right?

Giddy, she turned on the kettle.  
.  
.

Perhaps he should apologize.

Noll leaned against the door, the wood cold against his back. Why exactly had he felt the need to prove himself in the first place? It was a regrettable decision, one that he wished he could take back now that the lingering taste of the herbal tea was drying on his tongue. Of course he wouldn't like it, he never had. So then why had he taken her bait?

He shook his head, trying to cool the heat threatening to tinge his cheeks. Why was he dwelling on this? Noll pushed himself away from the door, back toward his research. He had been doing something useful before she'd interrupted him and he wasn't about to allow any more distractions. He sank into his chair and had only just managed to concentrate when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Mai pushed it open, cup in hand. "Here's your tea."

Noll raised an eyebrow. Her cheeks were a soft pink color and her voice had a breathy quality to it that made his heart skip. He cleared his throat. "Is it—"

"Earl Grey?" She interrupted. "Just as you like it."

He might have been mistaken but something felt off about her. Had he made her uncomfortable? He felt the heat returning to his cheeks.

"Look, Mai," he said, taking the teacup from her. "I—"

The cup shattered. Mai gasped, recoiling as shards of porcelain and hot tea flew everywhere. The desk was drenched in the leather brown liquid, darkening the edges of his papers, but Noll couldn't look away. His hand hovered in between them, fingers splayed, and an indescribable tingle where Mai's skin had touched his.

Mai stared back at him, cradling her hand as if it hurt her. "Na...ru?"

He dropped his arm, feeling the heat of the spilled tea wetting his pants, his socks.

"Damn it," he cursed. Most of his papers were ruined.

Mai shouted something about cloth as she fled the room, leaving him to salvage what he could of his research.

Noll knew instantly the teacup hadn't shattered on its own, but what he didn't know was _why_.

He pictured her face, the surprise in her dark eyes, a curious sensation creeping over him. He didn't have time to unpack it as Mai barged in, arms full of napkins and paper towels. She dropped them unceremoniously onto the ground but kept one and pressed it to his damp pant. He could feel the heat of her skin through the material, giving rise to the tiny hairs on his nape.

"It's fine," he said, pushing her hands away. He needed space, they were much too close. She didn't stop. "I said it's—"

He hadn't expected her to look up. He should have. Her warm breath washed over him, so close he could have picked out the flecks of green and gold in her dark eyes. He should have moved away but the thought came too late.

"Mai." Her name fit perfectly on his tongue.

Their lips met.

Tea forgotten, all he felt was Mai pressed firmly against him and yet still wanting to be closer. His heart thudded hard against his ribs as he pushed back against the desk. Mai's arms snaked around him, hugging his shoulders, flitting over his collarbone and playing with his tie

Her lips pushed back against him, their foreheads touching. He'd never kissed anyone before but never had he imagined it like the rush of falling. Only, the type of falling where you never hit the ground. She still tasted of tea and… something else. Something that lingered, familiar yet foreign. She trailed off, leading a pilgrimage across his jaw; down his neck. They were soft and unpracticed but he felt the passion in them.

He wrapped his arms around her, snaked a hand under her shirt, keeping her close. The other traced the outline of her. It pushed over the solid bone of her hip, up where her shoulders met her neck before tangling in her soft brown roots. The lingering scent of her shampoo filled his lungs — vanilla and honey.

 _She is your employee_ , a voice whispered. Noll growled, pushing it away.

_She's your assistant._

That didn't matter.

_You know she loves you._

His heart dropped. Did she?

_Do you love her?_

"Mai," Noll whispered against her lips. She made a noise of assent, returning to press her lips to his again. It was hard to pull back. "Wait, wait."

Mai flinched as if he had shouted.

He let her hair fall from his fingers as he took a step back. "I don't think" — he hated that hurt look in her eye — "this is right."

Wait, no. That wasn't what he meant.

"It's-it's," he fumbled to correct himself. "I'm not—"

Mai held her hands up between them as if it were a barrier. "It's okay. I-I'm sorry, we shouldn't have!"

"Mai," he said again but she wasn't listening.

She stepped sideways, putting as much distance between them as she could. "I'll just, um, I'll... go back to my desk." Each word held a different emotion as she stumbled back through the door and swung it shut behind her.

Alone, Noll felt like he could breathe again but everything seemed to smell like Mai.  
.  
.

Noll hadn't left his office for hours. His pants were now uncomfortably stiff with dry tea, his nose burning from the herbs that seemed to have steeped into his skin, reminding him of their presence every time he moved. But relief was closing in.

Distantly, he heard Mai calling out that she was leaving. Neither he nor Lin responded, but she didn't wait for a response. Noll felt the weight rise from his shoulders with the sound of the door. He didn't know how long he could allow this to go on but he wasn't sure what would happen if he and Mai were in the same room. If he were being honest, he didn't entirely trust himself. He might have been the one to call off _whatever_ was happening before, but he wasn't sure if he could do it again. He didn't trust the heat that lingered at the mere thought of her.

He sighed, massaging the kink out of his neck. He could at least attempt to clean himself.

The small kitchenette wasn't any different than it had been hours ago, before he had Mai on his desk but somehow it felt stuffy. Suffocating. Noll searched around the kitchen for a washcloth, ignoring the homemade tin still sitting at the edge of the counter. The pleasant smell of its contents was still detectable even with the lid tightly closed.

When he found one, he wet it and scrubbed at his pant for a few long minutes, to no avail. He was just going to have to deal with it. Frustrated, he tossed the washcloth into the sink and grabbed the kettle. For all the times he had tea in his hands, he certainly had not drunk enough of it.

Waiting for the water to boil, his curiosity mastered him. The thick cardstock smelled just like the tea. Lovers tea, he read and below it, a familiar yellow camellia flower.

Setsuko-san was the owner of _Hanakotoba_ , a small inn nestled between fields of flowers. It had been beautiful to visit, yet not quite as haunted as Setsuko-san had implied. A mischievous spirit has made its home there, but nothing Noll and his team hadn't seen before. They made quick work of it ー not quick enough though, as Setsuko-san still found time to meddle.

Grimacing, whether from the tea or the memory, he didn't know. Noll flipped the card around, glancing over the ingredients. One caught his eyes.

" _It's special,_ " Mai had said. " _It has something called_ Catuaba."

Catuaba. Why did that sound so... familiar?

Noll thought it over for a moment before slipping the note into his pocket. Maybe he should pay Setsuko-san a visit. Maybe he should go home.

That sounded like the better option.

.  
.

Every touch harbored a sense of urgency; a rawness that intimated the feel of her ragged breath over his skin.

Noll kissed her hard, every part of him pressed against her. He wanted more. He wanted everything. But he _shouldn't_.

"I can'tー" he broke off suddenly, growling. " _We_ can't." It took all his concentration to step back, away from her prone and wanting figure. She was all curves and moonlight and temptation. He shook his head.

Mai's glazed brown eyes peeled open to watch his stumbling progress. "What's wrong?" She asked between breaths.

He shoved a knuckle between his teeth, biting back another groan. The larger part of him wanted nothing more than to kiss every inch of exposed skin but the other more rational part of him knew he shouldn't. He must stop it here before it went any further.

Mai watched him with heavy-lidded eyes, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. She slid easily from the bed.

They were close. Too close. "Do you not want this?" she hummed softly.

He would have expected her to shy away from him, to exhibit some extension of her innocence. There was no hint of Mai's diffidence now. She stood before him in nothing more than the uneven strips of moonlight, steadily closing the gap he'd put between them.

It took a marked effort to keep his eyes on her face. "Mai ー Mai, no."

She smiled. It was the kind of smile that felt like a secret. She took another half step; they were so close now that he could feel the heat radiating off her.

She traced a finger across his chest. "You want me, don't you?" Her voice was barely a whisper, but he found himself clinging to every breathy word.

He caught her hand, burning where they touched. "This isn't real." He felt there was something wholly wrong with both of them, but the desire surging through him left no space to think about it now. He barely restrained from the impulse to pull her closer, shuddering.

Mai gazed up at him, her free hand ghosting over his ribs, traveling downward. He closed his eyes against the onslaught of vulgar thoughts sneaking back from the edges of his mind. This wasn't going to work, he thought, biting the inside of his cheek hard to stop a groan. Mai pulled her other arm free, continuing where it left off.

"S-stop," he croaked without any real conviction. "We-we shouldn't..."

He pried his eyes open again only half surprised to find that Mai was no longer standing. Rather, the sight of her kneeling in front of him sent a whole new wave of desire coursing through him. He didn't think he could take it. " _...please…_ "

The warmth of her breath washed over him. He shivered, the muscles of his abdomen tightening in anticipation. "M-Mai..." he tried again, voice cracking. "This i-isn'tー"

Noll sat upright, heart in his throat, legs twisted into the thin bedsheets and half expecting to feel Mai pushed against him. She wasn't. He was alone in his hotel room and he didn't know if he was relieved or disappointed.

He was covered in sweat, his lower half straining against his boxers. This, he thought, was all very unnecessary. Mai had been his employee for well over two years, why was his body choosing _now_ to retaliate? He thought back through the day, retracing their steps; every movement, every word shared between them, but nothing had been different. Nothing… until the tea. The damned tea. Noll ran a hand through his sweat-soaked hair, staring up at the shadowed ceiling.

He should _definitely_ pay Setsuko-san a visit.

Noll slid his phone off the nightstand, glaring at the light of the screen just long enough to set an alarm before tossing it away again. He didn't want to look at it until morning.

In the darkness again, he sighed. With his eyes closed, he could feel the ghost of Mai's finger playing over the skin of his thighs. He shivered and kicked the rest of the sheets off as if they were to blame for the goosebumps now spotting his arms. He just had to get through this night. He would get the answers he needed tomorrow.

Just sleep.

But that was difficult when he could practically feel his fingers weaving into Mai's hair. She was wrapping her small, warm hands around the most sensitive parts of him andー

Noll groaned. It was going to be a long night.  
.  
.

"Where are you?" Lin's voice came gruff through the phone.

The taxi eased through the flower-lined drive, the small, squat building hard to make out covered as it was in moss and vines. It looked as if it were going to be swallowed into the ground at any moment. "Yamanashi."

He had to give Lin credit. It would be easy to berate Noll, but the silence on the other end of the line told Noll the older man was trying to parse out _why_. Noll allowed him a moment, directing the driver to park near the entrance. Finally, Lin gave a soft, resigned sigh. " _Hanakotoba_ Inn?"

As the car pulled around, Noll was greeted with the small, empty parking area. There didn't look to be any guests. Good. He didn't want an audience. "Yes."

"Why are youー?"

"Call it a check-up." Noll offered, but that was all he offered. "I'll text you when I leave."

He ended the call before Lin could argue.

Grains of wood fluttered down as he knocked. Birds chirped somewhere nearby, the sound accompanied by the thrumming of an engine as the taxi waited on his return. A minute passed and Noll knocked again.

The door swung open as his knuckles grazed the wood. A short plump woman stood in the entry, resembling the squat building like some people resemble their pets.

"Setsuko-san." He said in greeting.

To her credit, Setsuko-san looked more excited to see him than surprised, dark eyes sparkling in the sunlight. "Shibuya-san?" she said. "Is there something wrong?"

"Not at all." He lied, face tight. "May I come in?"

"Of course." She bowed him inside, shutting the door behind him, but Noll thought she might as well have left it open. From the cool breeze and strong scent of flora flowing in, Noll thought all of the Inn's windows must have been open. Setsuko-san skipped past him, talking over her shoulder as she led him into the quaint living space. "The place has been quiet since you and your team left, and my nephew is back to his old self again. I can never thank you enough."

"We were glad to be of service."

Noll eyed the space, finding it even more suffocating than it had been the week before. Several things were out of place, moved around as if Setsuko-san were redecorating.

"Oh, please don't mind the mess," Setsuko-san gestured to the least cluttered section of the couch. "Please have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

"No," his head was pounding. If only he hadn't been so adamant about skipping his morning tea. Perhaps he would still be irritable, but at least well-caffeinated. "I was hoping to discuss the matter of a gift you sent to my office."

Setsuko-san sat between a multi-patterned blanket, obviously homemade, and the scattered remains of what must have once been a chess set. On the table between them was a particular set of open jars filled with flower petals and spices. A tea making set.

The old woman smiled pleasantly. "I'm afraid you will need to be more specific."

Noll reached into his pocket, producing the thick card stock. The woody scent still clung to it, still noticeable even when surrounded by flowers.

"Ah yes, the tea." She clasped her hands together, turning to him expectantly. "Did you enjoy it?"

He drummed his fingers on his thigh. "It was quite... different."

Setsuko-san hummed, unoffended. "Not many people can appreciate the intricate flavor of such a blend."

"Why did you think," Noll sighed, getting to the point, "it was pertinent to gift such a thing to my assistant?"

Setsuko-san didn't pause in her ministrations as she said, "She told me you liked tea."

"I do not understand."

"You could say it was my little way of saying 'thank you' — and 'good luck'." She lingered on the last, peeking up at him with a glimmer in her eye.

Noll wouldn't be put off. "Perhaps I should be blunt. Are you aware that this particular blend of tea is surrounded by superstition?"

He paused, watching the tension grow between the old woman's slumped shoulders.

"It is said to be, of many things, an aphrodisiac."

Setsuko-san's eyebrows reached for her hairline, but the conspiring sparkle in her dark eyes betrayed her. "You _did_ do your research."

He might have spent the first hour of the trip there researching the ingredients he could recall from the label. "I will take that as a yes."

"Of course, that blend is known for many things. But it is most well-known for bringing out the true intentions of whoever drinks it. And if two people share from the same cup..." She leaned in closer to the tea mix she was creating as if letting it in on a secret. "…the tea acts as a powerful love potion."

Noll wavered, just for a moment. It had only been a sip. There was no way just a sip of tea could do... _all_ of that.

He fought to ignore the rising heat in his cheeks as he crossed his arms.

"Don't worry," she said, catching sight of his face. "The blend cannot create _interest_ , only accentuate it."

 _Cannot create_. What was she trying to say? Noll cleared his throat. "You sent us the tea knowing these… _properties_?"

"You misunderstand."

He clicked his tongue. "Enlighten me."

"Surely a scientist such as yourself understands the difference between superstition and fact."

"There is nothing between—" he bit his tongue. How could he defend himself after…? Glowering, he swallowed his pride and bowed. "Thank you for your time, Setsuko-san. I will leave you to your work."

"Wait," she stood as if to follow him.

"My taxi is waiting."

"Before you go," she called, "answer me one thing."

Noll stopped halfway between her and the door. He hoped the taxi was indeed still waiting.

Setsuko-san leveled him with a heavy stare and for the first time since arriving, Noll felt as if she were really _seeing_ him. "Do you regret it?"

That was difficult. He regretted a lot of things, most of which was ever deciding to come here in the first place. He knew what she was really asking, of course, but he was not about to admit he could still feel the ghost of Mai's hands roaming over his shoulders, his hips. His lips on hers.

"That's what I thought." The old woman smiled in that annoying way. "Thank you for the visit."

He needed to get back to the office. To Mai. "Goodbye, Setsuko-san."  
.  
.

Noll pretended to fiddle with his phone to avoid talking to the taxi driver. He hadn't been in the mood to talk before and he definitely wasn't now.

 _The blend cannot create interest, only accentuate it._ Setsuko-san's voice rumbled in his head much to his chagrin. It was just a superstition, why was he letting it bother him so much? It wasn't like he believed her. Except, and he loathed to admit it, he did. Something had happened after they drank the tea and it wasn't otherwise explainable.

Noll sighed. Why was it easier to deal with a house full of ghosts than it was to deal with a kiss? He turned to look out the window, watching the trees and fields fly by.

He should call her. He spun the sleek silver phone around in his palm eyeing the bars in the upper corner of the screen and wishing he had the excuse of bad signal. He should apologize.

Damn logic.

Mai didn't have a cell phone, at least, not one he knew the number of. For a moment he talked himself out of calling as if he hadn't already thought of calling the office phone instead, the phone Mai was always the one to answer.

Noll sighed again and caught the eye of the driver who was watching him in the mirror, misplaced concern on his face.

"Rough morning?"

Noll only barely kept from rolling his eyes as he dialed the Shibuya office number, hoping the action would put off any more attempts at conversation. "You have no idea."

The driver's chuckle was drowned out by the acoustic ring of the phone. It rang twice more and Noll let himself think it might go to voicemail before the line clicked.

"Thank you for calling Shibuya Psychic Research, how many I help you?"

Some oblivious part of him hadn't been expecting her. As if Mai would have somehow known it was him calling and immediately hand the call off to Lin. But of course she hadn't.

"Hello?"

He had been silent for a beat too long. "Mai."

To her credit, she tried to hide the surprise in her voice as she said, "Na-Naru?"

"Yes, it's me. Is Lin in the room?" It was suddenly very hot in the taxi. Noll swallowed to keep himself from asking to up the A/C.

"Um, no, but I can go get him—"

"No, no," Noll said a little too quickly. "That will not be necessary. I wanted to speak with you."

"With me?"

He leaned his elbow against the window sill, shielding his face with his free hand from the prying eyes of the taxi driver. "Yes. Are you... free tonight?"

"Yes," she said and he could hear the ruffling of papers. "Do we have a case? Lin said you were in Yamanashi, is Setsuko-san okay?"

Noll clenched his jaw. Of course, Lin would tell her. To be fair, he hadn't exactly asked the older man to keep it a secret. "Everything is fine," he said. "We do not have a case."

"Oh, then…"

"I will be back in Shibuya in a few hours, around dinner time. Would you like to join me?"

"J-join?" Mai's sharp intake of breath sent static through the phone. "For dinner?"

"Yes, for dinner."

"Okay, yeah, um. Dinner. Dinner sounds good."

Noll rubbed his temples to ward off the oncoming headache. He could see the taxi driver smiling at him and hoped he didn't just make a huge mistake. "You pick the place. I'll call when I'm closer."

"Okay," she sounded out of breath. "See you soon?"

"Bye, Mai."

"Bye!"

He kept the device to his ear long after the dial tone signaled the end of the call. Did he just ask Mai on a date?  
.  
.

Noll wished his heart would calm down, it was difficult to hear Mai over the rush in his ears.

"How does _Uobei_ sound? Oh, but I guess you don't like Japanese food, do you Naru?"

He shook his head, helping Mai into her jacket. He had only just arrived back in Shibuya an hour ago, but the sun had already dipped down below the buildings and a chilled wind had settled through the city. Noll hoped Mai attributed the pink in his cheeks to the effects of the wind as she spun around, inquisitive. He recalled her question.

"I am not fond of it, no," he said. "I've never acquired the pallet for raw fish."

Thankfully, Lin had been placated with a simple explanation upon Noll's arrival and was still tucked away in the back office.

"But I don't know of any good English restaurants in Shibuya."

"We're not going to a restaurant." He said as he motioned her out the door. He'd had the entire ride back to think and the only place private enough to have _that_ conversation, was in private.

"We aren't?" She skipped down the stairs as he led them towards the train station. The wind was cold and whipped her hair into her face. "Where are we going then?"

"My hotel."

Noll wished he had a perfect memory if only to store this moment in his brain forever. Mai's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red and her hands flew to the edges of her coat as if pulling it tighter might protect her from embarrassment.

"Your h-hotel?" she stammered.

He nodded turning away so she wouldn't see his practiced indifference cracking, the smile breaking through. "Since we can't agree on a restaurant, I guess I'm just going to have to cook dinner."

.  
.

By 'cook dinner' Noll actually meant a simple meal of pasta and spiced chicken, but Mai was kind enough to compliment it. She lit up as they ate and talked and slowly he told her the story of his visit to Setsuko-san.

"Do you believe it?" she asked, eyes downcast at the glistening strawberries Noll had just sprinkled sugar on in his interpretation of dessert. "That the tea could… influence a person's actions?"

He nudged the plate toward her, licking the lingering sugar from his fingers. "I'm a scientist, Mai," he said, taking up his seat beside her. The hotel table was only just long enough to seat both of them, shoulders bumping. "I believe the evidence."

"Evidence?"

By way of answer, Noll chose the reddest strawberry of the bunch and held it to her lips. Her soft brown eyes locked on his as she took it in her mouth, savoring the sweetness of the sugar.

"Do you find me attractive?"

Mai nearly choked. Pink juice dripped over her lips, staining her skin as she frantically whipped it away. She fought to swallow the half-chewed fruit. "Wha-what are you asking?"

"The tea only works if both parties are mutually interested," he explained, watching the realization dawn on her. Mutual.

"O-of course, I-I mean— who wouldn't?" she giggled nervously, her bangs falling into her eyes as she looked everywhere but at him.

He leaned sideways, lifting her chin with his finger until they were breathing each other in. Noll couldn't hear his own voice as he asked, "May I kiss you?"

Mai hesitated for only a moment before closing the distance between them. She tasted like sugar, lips soft against his. He brought a hand up to cup her jaw, wishing he could do more.

She ended the kiss first, watching him through her eyelashes. "How was that?"

He leaned his forehead against hers. "I would be lying if I said a single kiss was enough." He wanted to touch her, to feel more of her than his damn dreams had been able to give.

Perhaps they shouldn't. Maybe his dreams had corrupted him. He opened his mouth to thank her for entertaining him, to offer to walk her home, but she grabbed his hand.

"How much would be enough?" She stood and took a step back, edging toward the bed behind them.

He let her pull him across the room, heart beating hard. "I'll tell you when we get there."

He stepped past her, pulling her onto his lap. Giggling, she fiddled with the buttons of his shirt and Noll let his hands roam over her back as he trailed kisses over her neck.

Cool air broke over his chest as she finished her work and started on his belt, clumsy hands slipping over the leather. He tugged on the hem of her shirt, pulling it up over her head and leaving her blushing pink. They kissed again and again, breath already coming in short, rapid pants as he allowed her control over the rest of his clothes.

With a tinkle of metal, his belt hit the ground. He released Mai's mouth, enjoying the squeals of excitement as he trailed his lips over her jaw, reaching around her to undo the clip of her bra. She was growing more brazen, tugging off the contraption with little reservation. Noll fell backward onto the bed, taking her with him and kicking off his slacks. Mai's fingers played at the edges of his boxers, dipping in and out of the hem, indecisive.

"Take it off," he growled against the flesh of her neck. The moment the fabric was gone and the frigid air chilled his inner thigh, he rolled over, pushing her down onto the bed beneath him. The springs protested wearily beneath their combined weight as he hovered over her.

She was an arousing creature, no doubt. Her eyes glinted at him in the dark of the room, daring him. He didn't look away as he slowly, methodically, pulled off her skirt.

His mind went immediately to his dreams, picturing Mai with her mouth around him, his hands tangled in her hair. Then he saw Mai as she was; spread out over his bed, hands gripping the sheets and waiting for him to come close enough to kiss and he shoved the thought to the very edges of his lust-filled mind. They could do all of that later.

Right now he wanted her — all of her.

He climbed between her legs, nudging them wider with his knee as he searched her eyes for any spark, any indication that she was scared or frightened or unwilling. But she just gazed back at him, a lust mirroring his own.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

Mai laughed as if he'd just said the funniest thing in the world. "You're asking this now?"

"Well," he argued, "better now then—"

She shut him up with a kiss.

"I'll take that as a yes," he mumbled against her lips, guiding himself closer. She was warmer and wetter than even his dreams had imagined as he pressed into her. Mai let out a high, pained gasp.

He paused but the pinch between her eyes didn't relax. "Should I stop?"

Mai shook her head, biting into her lip. He watched her face as he sank deeper, pleasure beginning to fog his brain. Mai wrapped her fists in the bedsheets as he pressed past her hymen and she let out a high squeal.

Noll stopped, shuddering as he bent down to kiss away the tears at the corner of her eye. Her inner muscles squeezed the length of him and he had to fight back a breathy gasp at the sensation that flooded through him. Mai's pinched expression was wavering as she whimpered.

Slowly, steadily, he withdrew. Mai let out a short, pained gasp. The pain on her face hadn't quite faded but something new tugged at the corners of her lips. Thrusting back into her, Noll let out a deep moan. It was pleasure like he had never known before.

Mai's face lit up at the sound of him and she pulled him close, catching his lips again as he slid out and back in, each time more of him slipping inside.

A tingle worked its way through him, radiating from his tip to his toes. Noll's eyes closed as Mai wrapped a leg around his hip. They moved in rhythm — her hips coming up to meet his as they lost themselves in each other.

A loud feral groan ripped through his chest as he drove into her, relishing in the squeals she made when his hips hit hers.

Mai was gasping and moaning and moaning and moaning. Noll savored the feel of her tightening around him, his own muscles contracting, pulling taut. He thrust harder, deeper, some primitive side of him taking over as Mai dug her nails into his back, moaning his name. It took every semblance of remaining willpower to pull out even as every nerve in his body ached to drive into her again. He came in waves, the tension seeping out of him as he collapsed onto the bed beside her.

Through lidded eyes, Mai reached out and pushed a lock of sweaty hair out of his face. "Was that enough evidence for you?" she mumbled.

It took Noll too long to realize what she meant as he laughed and pulled her close. "I don't know," he said, smiling, "more research is needed."

.  
.

Lin knew something was up the moment Mai entered the office and Noll didn't chide her tardiness.

"Afternoon, Lin!" she called when he emerged from the kitchen, steaming cup of tea in hand.

"Mai," he nodded back and watched as she avoided all eye contact with a certain dark-haired boy reading on the couch.

Mai shed her backpack and laid it to the side, making a big show of pulling out her notebook and study materials. Lin sipped his tea, watching Noll turn the page of his book.

"Is everything okay?"

The question was met with complete silence. Weird but not at all the weirdest thing to happen within these walls. Lin sighed and turned to leave.

"Oh, Mai," he lifted his cup as their eyes met. "This new tea is delicious. Thank you for bringing it."


End file.
